RFID Based Real Time Tracking Systems

ERP News – worldwide – erpnews.com – A hospital is a large structure with hundreds of rooms in it. It can get difficult to manage the patients in such a huge premise. Many a times, the staff members do not know where a particular patient or doctor is. The difficulty increases when they have to search for specific equipment. Nobody remembers which nurse had last used a machine for testing which patient. The file or the equipment is lost in such situations. This might lead to inflated maintenance costs.

But, not anymore! This problem can be solved with the RFID (Radio-frequency identification) technology. RFID has two types. Active RFID uses power and Passive RFID that doesn’t require power. Real time location systems have a lot more benefits than this.

Real Time Location Solution

All equipment used in the hospital like testing machines, medical equipments, wheelchairs, uniforms, bed sheets, syringe pumps, lab apparatus, etc. can be tagged by RFID and tracked. Locations of doctors, other staff members, patients, etc. can be traced. The hospital corridors have sensors from which the user can get the last location and timing of an equipment or a person.

This technique is very useful in ensuring the safety of newborns and unstable patients. It also tells you whether a patient is out of the bed thus giving real time location solution to the organization.

RFID systems are wireless. The installation is quick and simple. After programming, RFID tags can be fitted into bands that can be tied on to the wrists of the patients. It is then able to detect their location within the entire hospital. The system range covers multi-floors and multi-wings.

RFID can also be helpful in storing patient’s records and data. It will give the complete patient history along with his name, personal details, disease description, prescribed medications, doctor’s name, etc. Files and paperwork can be completely eliminated. The band is removed once the patient is discharged. It is then re-programmed and reused for another patient.

Seamless Integration

The RFID system provides an architecture which facilitates seamless and quick integration with existing applications. It has high accuracy algorithms for tracking. One can continuously monitor the tracked tags at any time and from any corner of the hospital. The system is capable of storing infinite amount of data that can be enabled on a desktop or a smartphone. It also responds to voice commands.

RFID system has robust security architecture to protect important data. It also consists of maps for various routers installed on a floor. It has an interesting feature which can send alerts and notifications to the centre. The user can choose, on what events he needs to be notified. It can either be when a patient is out of the room or when a machine is sent out of the building. Alerts are also sent when a person enters a prohibited area. Low battery warning alerts are given out, too.

To conclude, RFID tracking can be very beneficial for the hospital industry. Once implemented, it saves a lot of time, money and energy of the hospital staff. Click here to know more about RFID based tracking systems for the medical industry.